Carrer de Tarragona,
Tarragona

A dusty yet attractive park, dotted with palms which offer shade from the summer heat. It was opened in 1980 on the site of the former municipal slaughterhouse, subsequently it is sometimes known as ‘Parc de l’Escorxador’. A giant sculpture by Jean Miró dominates the north-west corner.

Miró’s last great sculpture, "Dona I ocell" (Woman and Bird), has become one of the city’s most famous (phallic) symbols. You can’t miss it – it stands like a mighty erection, thrusting up 22 metres from the corner of Park Miró. Jean Miró designed the piece at the age of 88, and lived to see its construction just before his death in 1985.

It’s interesting to note that some of the politer guide-books for the city fail to mention its strikingly phallic form—preffering instead to concentrate on the colourful mosaic work that decorates its length. Some locals however, are not so coy: one of its more common nicknames is "The cock with a croissant".

contributor: Nigel Hayler